


The Prince and the Pirate

by sewerratz



Series: ballad of a prince and a pirate [2]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Fluff and Angst, Multi, Pirates, War, and the ships are going to be sweet so..., but it’s going to be fun, y’all this one might hurt a little
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-16 10:00:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29451933
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sewerratz/pseuds/sewerratz
Summary: War is coming.Tsukishima is now emperor.After Adriana’s unfortunate escape, informing him of her country’s and her mother’s full intentions of war, he’s doing everything in his power to be prepared. But with powerful forces vying for war and new problems around every corner he turns, can he stop it? Will he be able to keep the friends he’s made out of harms way? Or will everything he’s worked for come crumbling down?
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Sawamura Daichi/Sugawara Koushi, Shimizu Kiyoko/Tanaka Ryuunosuke, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Series: ballad of a prince and a pirate [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163300
Comments: 17
Kudos: 20





	1. An Emperor Only in Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright guys so i’m back!! this was glitching out at the beginning so i hope it’s going to work well now. anyways it’s been a long couple months guys and now im back on the worst holiday of the year. 
> 
> okay also i made a playlist of over dramatic songs for this so here and if that didn’t fucking work because i suck at links here’s the actual link so you can copy it if you want it.  
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2D5VA2hXVBx4mILJFmYXZO?si=uVKPfPXiT1OWx4NzIyLdLA
> 
> anyways hope y’all enjoy<3

Tsukishima falls on his ass with a grunt, his sword clattering from his hand. He rotates his jaw around, stinging from where the knife’s hilt connected.

From the midday sun shining in his eyes comes a freckled hand. “Sorry, Tsukki,” Yamaguchi says, a smile on his face as he looks down at him.

“Sorry, my ass,” Tsukishima grumbles as he rubs one hand on his tailbone, the other gripping Yamaguchi’s and letting himself be hauled to his feet. Brushing the dirt from his clothes, he spots in his peripheral Yamaguchi’s smile turn shy, rubbing the back of his neck. He lets himself place a light hand on his shoulder, giving him a reassuring squeeze. “Try not to go for my jaw next time.”

Letting out a breath of laughter, Yamaguchi steps forward and brushes the dirt from Tsukishima’s shirt, fingers grazing over the white silk. “I wasn’t aiming for it...it just...happened to be there,” he laughs again.

Tsukishima just shakes his head, tilting his chin downward to hide the small smile growing on his face.

Taking a tiny step back, Yamaguchi’s hand falls to his side. “There, all better—mostly—like it’s white so you’re going to need to wash it.”

“It’s fine.” He has tons of other shirts so he doesn’t mind if this one gets a little dirty. What he does mind though is the way the sunlight is hitting Yamaguchi’s hair, his face. Long lashes blinking as he meets Tsukishima’s eyes, freckles that he’s tried and failed to count too many times burn a warm brown in the sunlight.

Lifting his hand to push a stray strand of hair that’s fallen on his brow someone clears their throat from behind them and he nearly startles, his hand shooting back to his side.

He shoots a glare at Iwasaki who’s just rounded the corner of the stone barracks, looking stiff and awkward at what he walked in on. The guard gives him a tight-lipped smile, obviously regretting his intrusion.

Turning towards him, Tsukishima inwardly groans, “What is it?”

“Forgive me, Tsukishima, but they’ve arrived,” Iwasaki says, giving a shallow bow of the head, his arms tucked behind himself.

Tsukishima stills for a moment before nodding his head. “Alright,” he cuts a glance over to Yamaguchi who’s beginning to already look nervous before looking back to Iwasaki who’s already left for the front of the barracks, no doubt waiting for him. 

“I’ll see you at the meeting, right?” Tsukishima asks.

Yamaguchi’s foot scuffs at the dirt ground of the training area, clutching at his hands and nods, “Yeah, Suga is bringing me and Daichi along to, you know, observe.”

“Alright.” And with a quick glance around, checking to see if anybody is around—and nobody is—he presses a quick peck to Yamaguchi’s lips. “I’ll see you there,” and turns away to head back to his room to get a new change of clothes. To turn up at the meeting with dirt and sweat rubbed into his clothes would be fucking  _terrible_.

A slight tug at his sleeve has him stopping in his tracks and glancing over his shoulder to a bashful Yamaguchi. Tsukishima meets his eyes making Yamaguchi glance away for a moment as he clutches onto his sleeve.

With a nervous laugh, he lets go, still not meeting his gaze as he says, “You know...saying goodbye to a pirate with only a peck is said to be bad luck.”

Tsukishima raises a brow, his lips tilting upwards. “Is it? I’ve never heard of a myth like that.”

“That’s because...” Yamaguchi thinks to himself for a moment before letting out a light laugh as he says, “well, it was created today.”

“How strange...I usually don’t put much merit into legends and myths,” he says inching closer, his hand finally brushing the strand from Yamaguchi’s forehead. Leaning in, his hand cupping his face, he notices Yamaguchi trying to keep the sly smile off his face. And with great delight, Tsukishima presses a quick kiss to his cheek, watching with smug satisfaction as Yamaguchi goes from pleased to betrayed in moments. “And today, I continue to do just that,” he says turning around, heading for the front side of the barracks to where Iwasaki is waiting.

“Oh, come on! It’s bad luck,” Yamaguchi yells after him.

Tsukishima waves a lazy goodbye, “I think I can manage,” and turns the corner. His boots scuff against the stone path that borders the barracks along with the low stone fence, the trimmed hedges of the garden rustle a few yards away and he takes a deep breath of fresh afternoon air, calming his fraying nerves.

Iwasaki turns around to face him when he rounds the corner, hands tucked behind his back, diligent as ever. Ever since he promoted Usui, Uchida and him as personal guards a few months ago, he’s yet to take a break, the yawns and bags under his eyes a constant nowadays. Tsukishima had caught Usui chiding him the other day—which was a rare and honestly nerve wracking sight to behold—telling him to take a break. Tsukishima shared the sentiment, Iwasaki very well couldn’t do his job properly if he was dozing off half the time.

“Ready to go?” Iwasaki asks.

“I need to change out of these clothes first.” Tsukishima begins walking towards his room, Iwasaki keeping pace beside him without cue. A few weeks after his father was killed and the secret tunnel became somewhat public knowledge—at least it became the guards knowledge—he had to switch rooms. They bricked up the entrance but still insisted that he switch different rooms to a more secure space that they could guard. He resented and still resents the decision but went along with it. It was fairly larger than his last and on the opposite side of the palace, facing the snowcapped High Mountains so he wasn’t complaining.

They pass through the gardens, mist from the morning has long evaporated and the flowers and plants are beginning to sag with the cold of late fall. A week after his father’s death, they held a memorial for him here before heading over and lowering him into the ground in the forest upriver. The people who lowered him into said ground nearly dropped him, fumbling with the casket handles. They casted a terrified glance at him but he was too busy trying not to laugh as he imagined his father’s body rolling and flopping around in the tipping casket.

“Also, Tsukishima,” Iwasaki says, “with the new and final arrivals we came to the realization that there would not be enough space in the war room. So it will be held in the dining room given that the table is far longer in there.”

Iwasaki’s tone ruffles his feathers, far politer than it was months ago. “Whatever but how many times must I tell you, Iwasaki? Cut the polite shit out.”

“I don’t kn—“

“Knock it off or I’ll tell Usui that you worked through the night again.”

Iwasaki looks to argue but then quickly thinks better of it, giving him a tired sigh. “How could you tell?”

“The bags under your eyes are heavier than usual.” They pass into the castle, a couple of guards open the glass doors for them and he gives them a quick nod before beginning down the hall that will take them straight to his room. “Also the fact that I heard you take over for Nakamura last night.”

“You heard that?” He asks.

“Indeed,” Tsukishima says irritatedly.

They turn the corner. “But—that was nearly three in the morning. You should go to sleep at earlier times, Tsukishima.”

“I could say the same for you.”

Iwasaki huffs an exhausted laugh and it’s his turn to say, “Indeed.”

They take the rest of their walk to his rooms in silence, Tsukishima feeling more pleasant that he stopped with the well mannered words. Although the feeling of a string being pulled taut deep in his gut is no help to his nerves for this meeting. A lot of things are riding on what he does today and he needs these allies especially if it comes to not being able to stop the war.

“Alright,” he says as they round their way into the hallway, his door at the end of it “I’ll meet you at the dining room.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Iwasaki says, obviously put off by the idea.

Tsukishima says, “I can walk the halls of my palace by myself.” Iwasaki looks to talk but Tsukishima quickly holds up a hand, cutting him off. “I’ll probably come by another guard on my way there. Good enough?”

“Not exactly but I’ve never been able to change your mind before and I doubt today is the day,” Iwasaki says already turning around for the dining room.

Tsukishima puffs out a haughty breath of laughter as he pushes his door open, “So you’re finally learning.”

Iwasaki gives him a not-so-subtle middle finger as he rests his hand on the hilt at his side but Tsukishima chooses to not point it out as he closes his bedroom door behind himself.

Alright. Clothes.

Quickly throwing off his dirty clothes, wriggling out his black pants and boots, he crosses his room and throws open his massive wardrobe to the clothes on the inside. 

He needs to look polished today. Something that speaks regal but not enough that he’s trying to out-dress the others, that would be a disaster. So no over-the-top jewelry, he settles for a pair of minuscule gold hoops. No cape. The first and last time he wore a cape his father was decapitated. He forces his cold feet into the same pair of tall boots after he puts on a extremely dark pair of blue pants. Swiping a white puffy long sleeve off it’s shelf, he goes to the small mirror by his window, fixing his hair and slipping on a couple pieces of wire jewelry onto his fingers that he and Yamaguchi bought at the market months ago. Noticing himself preening in the mirror he cringes visibly, fixes his glasses, grabs a long coat off his bed—the same color of his pants—and pushes himself out his door with a  _click_.

“Tsukishima!” And he jumps as Usui and Uchida pop in front of him, the former slinging an annoying arm around his shoulder as usual. 

“What are you two doing here?”

“Iwasaki passed by us and told us to escort you to the dining room,” Uchida says, “but we were already going to do that.”

“Oh joy,” Tsukishima mutters.

“Hey,” Usui says getting his attention and makes direct eye contact with him as he says, “Just because you’re the emperor now doesn’t mean we won’t pummel you.” 

“You just threatened treason. That can seriously put a dent in your payroll, Usui.” 

They turn the corner and down the flight of stairs, some dumbass left the window open and it lets in the chilly fall wind.

Usui gives him a betrayed look. “Oh come on, can a man not joke?”

“They can joke,” Uchida says, “but only when it’s funny. You, Usui, are rarely funny.”

Usui looks back at her as they reach the bottom of the stairs, his eyes slit as he gives her an annoyed look, “Or you just lack taste. I find my jokes rather hilarious.”

“So would a rock,” Uchida mumbles.

“Thank you. I’m glad to know you think I could strike a laugh from something that has no sentience.”

“And no sense of humor.”

Well that strikes the debate, would someone laugh really hard because they have no sense of humor or not laugh at all because they don’t know what’s funny. Would it appreciate rock jokes? Tsukishima decides to tuck that head-scratcher away for later as they come upon the tall and slender oak doors to the dining room. They’re pushed open, letting the hallway breeze in and the voices inside can finally reach his ears. Tons of voices. But he keeps himself moving, not stopping to evaluate whether he’s even ready or if this was the right decision, just moving forward. Uchida and Usui’s banter comes to a halt as they follow Tsukishima through the doors and he tries not to let his fingers move at his sides as the room goes silent, all eyes turning to land on him.

He makes his way down the length of the dining table, careful not to trip or do anything stupid while his eyes rove over the arrivals. All but one has arrived, Inarizaki, but he was expecting that—dreading it but expecting it. But everybody else he sent a message to has arrived, the seats set out for them filled. It seems Shiratorizawa decided that they cared enough to come, the serious looking man clad in his royal purple who Tsukishima guesses is the famed Prince Ushijima sits at the opposite end of the table. Along with the prince is some of Suga’s friends...pirate friends. He tries not to list off who he sees, knowing them from his research when he was younger and the wanted posters at the harbor, but it’s already too late.

There’s Futakuchi, captain of Dateko, the Iron Wall of the Middle Sea. Infamous for their unsinkable ship and his terrifying compatriot, Aone, looming over his seated captain, who’s equally as intimidating as he is tall, the permanent grimace and lack of eyebrows adding to it. And in the chair beside Futakuchi is Kuroo, captain of Nekoma and his first-mate, Yaku, their crew and them are mercenaries, usually working for the highest bidder. And there’s Bokuto and Akaashi of Fukurodani, Owls of the East. 

The room is filled to the brim with criminals, Tsukishima realizes. A  _ royal _ dining room is overflowing with  _ pirate _ captains and their crew. Oh how his father must be writhing in his grave right now. The only people who aren’t pirates are himself, Captain Sakai who sits taut in his seat as he watches a pirate look at a silver trinket on the fireplace’s mantle with hunger, Captain Sugawara with his co-captain (he actually has no idea) Daichi, Lieutenant Oikawa and Tsukishima’s newest and only advisor, Sakusa, who, after Tsukishima quickly dismissed or arrested his father’s advisors and generals, offered himself up for the job. He’s often cold and anti-social as well as totally anti dirt and disease. But he seems honest and has the people’s interest at heart, for now at least. 

A servant pulls his chair out for him and he sits down at the head of the table, back straight, placing his hands in his lap, praying that they don’t hear the tapping of his foot.

“Ah, the man of the hour,” says Kuroo, breaking the loaded silence with a grin. Some gazes turn their attention towards him rather than Tsukishima and he lets out the tiniest and most silent breath of relief, the weight around his shoulders lightening and he feels calmer, ready.

Ignoring Kuroo, he meets their gazes, “Shall we begin?”

A collective sound of agreement goes throughout the room and Tsukishima clears his throat. “I’ve called you all here today to discuss the topic of Birkland. As you may all know by now, my father was planning on waging war with them.” Someone in the room scoffs at the idea of it. “He had a plan,” and he sends a tiny nod towards Iwasaki at the sidelines of the room who comes forward and lays the map his father used. On it are the circles around the Birkland military bases and notes of his attacks. Long abandoned plans he doesn’t plan on revisiting. “He was going to wipe out these bases with a weapon he created and ultimately take Birkland for himself.”

“But he was unable to do that. Birkland had sent a princess, and later to be revealed general of theirs, over to be my betrothed. They were one step ahead of my father the whole time, ultimately leading to his pitiful demise. With this came the destruction of the weapon my father created, the one that destroyed Rin’s Pass.” A couple of people blanch at his words and he tries to squash the feeling of guilt down for mentioning it in front of Suga, Daichi and Yamaguchi. He forges on, “Now Birkland has declared war on my country and by the end of winter, they will be upon us. And with that, I need your help.”

The room stays silent, deliberating and mulling over his words. Tsukishima fights the urge to look over to Yamaguchi for reassurance as he waits for one of them to speak up. His heart is beginning to pound when Ushijima is the first to speak.

“Why should we help you?”

_ Well isn’t that just the fucking question of the hour? _ Why should they help him? Itoku does not have a great track record for being very polite to other countries, actually quite hostile if he’s being honest. His father was an ass who fought many battles, and so was his father, and so was his father’s father. Only recently had Tsukishima made it very clear that he had no desire to be a conqueror although that was hardly believed seeing that he was inheriting a war. The people’s reactions made him spend a few hours laying in bed, pretending he wasn’t torn up about it. 

Everybody waits for his answer, the same question was probably waiting to leap from their tongues as well. 

It’s Bokuto who speaks up first, his hands slamming onto the table like he’s had some type of huge revelation. “It’s the right thing to do, of course. We can’t just let them be slaughtered.” His crew mate looks at him, looking slightly embarrassed that he spoke out of turn like that. Tsukishima can only nod his head at that, agreeing but also a little annoyed that his train of thought was interrupted.

“Well,” he begins slowly, “if Birkland happens to take Itoku, who’s to say they won’t stop here? Because my best bet is that they won’t. Now I’m not asking you guys to give your lives to me right this instant, all I ask is that when and if the time comes, you’ll be there.”

“But what’s in it for us?” Someone asks from down the table. Tsukishima doesn’t remember his name but he remembers his ship and crew having something to do with snakes, their ship having a badass snake figurehead.

Tsukishima leans his elbows on the table, “You guys work for gold, right? I have gold.” It’s true, there are chambers throughout the city filled to the brim with gold, riches and priceless artifacts his family had acquired throughout the centuries.

“Gold hardly matters when you’re dead.”

Oikawa’s first-mate utters something under his breath that makes Oikawa laugh quietly. Tsukishima speaks up before any of the pirates notice him chuckling, “Then I suggest you fight hard to stay alive. If Birkland does happen to take this country then I hardly think they will be as tolerable of you as I am.”

It goes quiet after that and Tsukishima realizes that this is not going good at all. If it continues to go this way he’ll end up with zero allies and a rocky relationship with the pirates.

“Guys,” Sugawara starts and Tsukishima can feel their attention turn towards him. Sugawara levels them all with a cool stare, “What we are trying to do is stop the war before it begins. I can assure you all that Tsukishima is not like his father at all. We’re trying to keep people from dying on both sides of this war.” He stops what he’s saying before quickly adding, “And I bet a few songs would be made in your honor if you do decide to help us.”

That seems to catch a couple of their attentions, looking mildly more interested than they were before. Sugawara cuts a look over to Tsukishima and he adds on, “I have no doubt about it. They’ll be very fine ones.”

A couple grumble to their crew and he waits for someone to speak up. Ushijima at the end of the table talks to his very animated advisor, speaking in somewhat hushed tones.

“We’re in,” says Akaashi, Bokuto enthusiastically nodding along. 

“And if Bo’s in,” Kuroo says, leaning forward lazily onto the table, “so are we.”

The rest of the pirates mumble the support after that, following along with the others. Futakuchi and the guy he now remembers is Daishou  reluctantly agree, the former loudly saying that if he dies, he’ll haunt everyone in the room. Tsukishima lets himself look over to Yamaguchi who stands on the sidelines by a painting of a meadow, is giving him a poorly hidden ecstatic smile and he looks back towards the table. Now only Prince Ushijima is left to give his answer, everybody watching him tensely. As much as Tsukishima  silently appreciates their support they can’t win a war with a bunch of ships. He needs troops and more food if they are going to win.

Ushijima finally turns himself around in his seat, back straight and shoulders set. “As much as I would like to aid you in this battle, I cannot.”

Tsukishima feels the breath just get sucker punched out of him and he struggles with not bowling over as he chokes out, “Why?”

“You’re an emperor only in name,” he says before his red-haired advisor cuts in, “What Ushiwaka is trying to say is that you have not been crowned emperor yet. The people and officials of Shiratorizawa won’t accept to give aid to you if it is not official.”

“Then—“ he says before taking control of his voice again and he asks more calmly, “Then how do I become crowned officially?” Because he’s pretty sure his father being decapitated was crowning enough. 

“You need to be crowned by blood. Only with someone of the same blood running through their veins as yours can crown you emperor.”

Tsukishima goes stock still in his seat, his heart roaring in his ears. His mother died years ago, his father was killed and that leaves...that leaves his brother. Tsukishima knows he’s at the Tsukishima Estate, has been for the last few years but he just hasn’t gotten around to seeing him these last few months, doesn’t want to think about it. 

“There’s gotta be another way,” Yamaguchi says from the sidelines, coming to stand by Sugawara. 

“Not that I know of,” Ushijima’s advisor says, “but you can try and find one.”

“Are you sure there’s not another way?” Captain Sakai says, leaning forward in his seat, his eyebrows drawn down.

“I’ll do it,” Tsukishima says out of nowhere, clasping his trembling fingers into his lap as he sets the room with a cool stare. They all go silent, Yamaguchi watching him with wide eyes. He turns to look at Prince Ushijima, “I’ll get my brother back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> also i made a map and i posted it to my tumblr because i don’t know to link it here so if y’all wanna check it my @ is sewer-ratz. anyways sorry for updating so late and hope y’all enjoyed!!
> 
> also side note i finished up season 4 of haikyuu and if tsukishima and yams not boyfriends, why hug at end of match??


	2. Into the Forest

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this took me so long, my power went out for a day and a half and then i had to move into a new space. anyways i’ll try and make it up to u guys soon and i’ll try and do my regular updating schedule which is every sunday. if i finish a chapter early i’ll post it and if it’s late it’ll probably be around sundays.

When the meeting finally comes to a close, the agreements made and allies (all but one) sworn in, he leaves first, bowing low and quick before sweeping out the tall doors. His personal guards jog to keep up with him and his hurried gait as he makes his way down the halls, his boots clicking against the polished marble floor. As passive as his face may seem, how he makes it seem, it doesn’t change the thundering of his heart, pounding in his eardrums like thunder, or the clenching of his fists, so tight that his fingernails almost draw blood from under the layers of his skin.

Why? Why why why why why why did he say that? Why did he promise to get his brother? He could have looked for another option, there probably was another option, somewhere deep within the library there may be a solution to a problem like this. But no. He can’t do that. He promised. 

The feeling of...whatever he was feeling. Fear, terror, sadness, he has no idea what and has no qualms with not finding out, is paired with the feeling of anticipation, no matter how much he tries to squash it down. The muttered goodbye of his brother behind close doors still haunts his dreams as do other things. So he can’t go back on his promise because maybe, just maybe, if he sees his brother again the dreams will stop and there’ll be one less string to worry about in the tangled web of all his problems.

“...Tsukishima!” His name finally registers and he notices Uchida—who’s trying to flag him down—Usui and Iwasaki trying to keep pace behind him. “Wait up!”

He considers for a moment continuing on to his rooms but stops for them before he can think better of it. They catch up to him in seconds and he turns back down the hall, a slower pace than before.

“You okay, man?” Usui asks, opting out of his usual closeness with a concerned look.

“I’m fine.” Tsukishima does well to forget that his shoulders are nearly hiked up to his ears. They turn the corner and have a close call with a servant, almost running into them, a too-large basket of linens stacked high, obscuring their vision. The servant mutters their apology but Tsukishima doesn’t have the energy to accept it right now, swerving around the servant and the huge basket, wanting to get to his rooms as quick as possible.

Iwasaki mutters a quick apology on all of their behalf’s before hurrying up to catch up with him, his eyebrows furrowed and Tsukishima stifles a frustrated groan. “Are you sure you’re—“

“I’m fine,” Tsukishima says, his voice raised. 

“Well we just want to make sure.”

“And I’m telling you,” he lets out a deep breath from his nose, “I’m fine.”

They close in on his room and his heart eases at the sight of his door. A couple more seconds and he’ll be back in rooms where he can sulk by himself. 

“Well, just let us know if you need anything,” Iwasaki says as Tsukishima opens his door. He steps through before stopping, turning back to the three of them.

“Alright,” nodding his head in thanks once before closing the door on his concerned friends. He walks absentmindedly over to his bed, shoulders and feet feeling heavy as he drags himself over. Taking his glasses and boots off, he flops face first onto his extremely cold bed and resists the urge to smother himself with his pillows.

It’s not that he dislikes his new room, it’s actually okay. It has a lot of space, multiple rooms instead of the one he had before. But it lacks the undeniable privacy he had in his fourth-story room as well as the constant wind blowing in and the sun-warmed walls his room used to have. He throws his duvet over himself, the weight comforting even though he knows it’ll soon become stifling under the covers.

Uchida yells through his door, “Hey, Tsukishima, I’m gonna head down to the kitchens! You want anything?”

“No, I’m fine,” he shouts back, voice muffled by his face being pressed into the mattress.

“Alright...well I’ll be back in a short bit, Usui and Iwasaki are still here if you need anything,” she says before she walks away, her steps fading into silence as his mind begins to whir.

If he wants to get anything done, be prepared then he needs this alliance with Shiratorizawa and fast. He’ll need to leave as soon as possible for his brother. While he’s gone the others should begin on the plan he’s devised.

_ I’ll leave by tonight. _

A knock sounds at his door before it clicks open and he pushes himself out from under the covers, his hair a mess, “Uchida, I already told you. I’m not hungry.” Only when he looks towards the doorway it’s not Uchida at all but Yamaguchi who looks at him with a sympathetic smile.

“Are you going to ask me if I’m okay as well?” Tsukishima says even though he knows that’s not really a fair thing to say at all.

Yamaguchi lets out a small awkward breath of laughter, “Well I was but I think we both know the answer to that. I really just came to...check in, I guess—if you want me here.”

Of course he wants him here. He’s doesn’t feel...good right now but it doesn’t mean he would want Yamaguchi to get out. Understanding his silence he takes a tentative step forward and then another and another before arriving at the foot of his bed and sitting down, the mattress dipping a little as he does.

They sit in silence for a while and Tsukishima finally lets his thoughts die down—which is a lot harder than it sounds—letting himself listen to his own breathing and the sounds outside. He knows what he has to do and lets himself relax, just for now.

Yamaguchi sucks in a breath, interrupting the calm quiet, “I know it’s been a long time since you’ve seen your brother...and you’ve told me a little bit about your dreams. And, uh, I just wanted to say that, you know, I’m here so if you need anything.”

Tsukishima hums in reply and Yamaguchi’s shoulders slump a little, his face relaxing. With a huff he flops down at the end of his bed, his back bouncing off the mattress and he tucks his arms under his head as he stares at the ceiling. Tsukishima makes himself comfortable as well, nestling himself deep within his copious amount of pillows the only thing that he’s a tightass to the servants about, constantly asking if they’re soft and stuffed to perfection. 

He lets out a sigh. He’ll need to call an emergency meeting if he wants to leave by tonight. He needs a couple of people to watch and manage the city while he’s away. Probably Aoba Johsai and Dateko if he really wants to go on the defense. Usui, Uchida and Iwasaki could stay behind for once and finally catch a break although he doubts they’ll do it willingly. And he’ll need a couple of ships to enact the plan he and Sakai came up with.

“So,” Yamaguchi starts, “I’m guessing you have game-plan already?”

“Read my mind,” Tsukishima mutters.

“More like it looks like a screw is about to come loose if you think any harder.”

“Uh-huh,” giving him an amused glare he continues, “I need to set up another meeting. By tonight.”

“Then what’s stopping you?” Yamaguchi asks, angling his head towards him with a smile.

Tsukishima pauses. “Nothing...I guess,” he says with realization, sitting up in his bed before throwing the covers off himself. “Hold on a second,” Yamaguchi nods as Tsukishima gets off his bed and hurries over to his door, nearly slipping a couple of times. Iwasaki and Usui almost jump into the air as he swings the door open.

“What’s wrong?” Iwasaki asks urgently.

“Nothing.” Their shoulders relax considerably and he  _ almost _ feels bad for them, “I need one of you to gather the pirates again as well as Captain Sakai and Lieutenant Colonel Oikawa.”

“Why?” Usui splutters.

“I’m leaving. Tonight. And I need everything in order.”

———

“AHH, EMPEROR TSUKISHIMA!” Bokuto yells as the doors to the war room opens, his face lighting up. Tsukishima covers his ears as Bokuto continues, “Thank you so much for the rooms you gave us! Akaashi says the beds are very nicely made.”  
  
“Bokuto, I think he knows how nice his beds are,” Akaashi says as they both sit down at the end of the full table—full room actually, it’s once again almost filled to the brim with pirates—Bokuto hastily pulling out Akaashi’s chair for him before seating himself.

“True but it doesn’t hurt to let him know what we think,” Bokuto says and Akaashi gives him a nod before turning his head towards Tsukishima, “Thank you for the rooms, Your Imperial Majesty, they’re quite comfortable.”

Tsukishima still squirms at the title although much less than he would’ve months ago. What then was a fresh wound is now an old scar, the title holding it’s weight in blood that he won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

He gives a polite smile, trying to hide the motion as he tears his hands away from his ears. “It’s no problem and let my staff know if you have any complaints and they should be equipped to fix it.”

“Ooo,” Oikawa goes from the right of him. Shortly after his reinstatement, Sugawara and him had decided their seating after much debate, the pirate captain now sitting to the left of him while Oikawa takes the right. Oikawa looks at him with his ever present sickeningly bright smile, “Do you happen to have any lavender soap—“

His first-mate, Iwaizumi, who stands beside his chair, scuffs the back of his head with a quick  _ thunk _ _,_ mussing his perfectly styled hair. Oikawa yelps, patting at his hair frantically as he shoots him a poisonous glare. “Let’s get to why we’re here, shall we?” Iwaizumi says.

“...Right,” Tsukishima says wondering if that’s even allowed. He’s heard of their friendship dating back to childhood but still...anyways. “Forgive me for interrupting your day—“ he’s really not sorry, “—but the outcome of the summit has lead to this urgent meeting. I cannot ally myself with Prince Ushijima because of...” he pauses before he grinds out, “...certain technicalities.”

“Bullshit technicalities!” Sugawara interjects and Daichi shoots him a look from the corner of the room where he’s taken to leaning against the wall and listening in.

“Not to be a wet blanket here,” Kuroo says from down the table which assures everybody that  _ he is _ going to be a wet blanket. His two crew-mates that deigned this meeting important enough, Yaku and another guy with a weird looking blond shaved haircut  _ thing _ going on, shift a little at everybody’s attention. Kuroo looks unfazed as his hand traces the lines of the wood table, “If they’re making such a big deal out of something so little, how forthcoming do you think they’re going to be with help  _ when _ war does come?”

He’s right, no matter how much it vexes him at the idea of it. They’re being awfully strict about it, even by Shiratorizawa’s standards. Like they’re acting as if a damn war is not on the brink of reaching their shores. And if they have any chance of even winning, he needs them on his side and not some neutral dunces who won’t lift a finger to his country being massacred.

Tsukishima nods slowly, the fire at his back as hot as always. He should have just used the dining room again, it’s a lot less stuffy. “You’re correct...but right now we need to focus on other pressing matters.”

“And,” Captain Sakai says, his hands resting calmly on the table, “it doesn’t hurt to be  _ officially  _ crowned, right?”

The thought of it actually does cause him physical pain, sitting on the throne all day would cause him and his muscles a lot of grief, but he nods anyway. “And that leads me to why we’re even having the meeting.” A few people sag in relief at their seats, probably ready to go back to whatever they were doing before this. “I’m leaving, tonight.”

The room goes silent as they all register what he just said, the only people unsurprised are his guards who stand behind probably trying to keep the smug looks off their faces—Uchida and Usui at least, Iwasaki’s probably about to burst a blood vessel. But just as fast as the silence came, all their voices erupt at once mostly asking what the fuck does he think he’s doing and the answer to that is he has no fucking clue, none,  _ zero . _

The words merge together, becoming too much as it grates at his brain. “Quiet, all of you,” he says, his voice barely making a sound under all of their voices but silencing them nonetheless. “This is why I’m having the fucking meeting so everything’s settled before I go. Are you going to listen?” His gaze levels everybody as he looks around the room and he takes it as their assent. “The sooner I retrieve my brother the better. While I’m gone I’ve laid out plans for you all.” Tsukishima turns to Captain Sakai who sits straighter in his seat, “Captain Sakai, will you be in charge while I’m absent?”

His eyes become saucers and his mouth opens and closes like a fish before he spits out an answer, his head nodding a few times, “O-of course, Tsukishima!” Sakai takes control of his voice and it becomes level as he bows his head, his graying hair spilling over his forehead, “I would be honored.”

“Thank you. As for the Crows, I’ve already talked to you about this, Captain Sugawara.” He nods his head, “But you’ll be setting off for Kota within the next few days. Remember what you have to do?” 

“Yeah, I remember but we’ll probably go over it again before we cast off.” 

Tsukishima nods his head. About a month ago Captain Sakai and him had devised a plan to diminish Birkland’s war effort. The first step is sending the Crow’s to Kota where they’ll, hopefully, burn down half the crops and the Pearl Guild down. 

He had heard about the Pearl Guild from Takeda, learning that they’re very wealthy, earning money from auctioning off stolen artifacts and treasures from other conquered countries. With the promise of all Itoku’s artifacts and half the treasure going to them, they invest heavily in Birkland. They reside in Kota and so he decided to send them a warning as well as burn down their warehouse so they can’t auction off anymore of their stuff, losing the money they’ll no doubt give to Birkland.

But now for the difficult part, who is he deciding to send to Inarizaki? He would send Aoba Johsai but he needs them here to deal with some matters. Dateko and Nohebi are out of the question, the latter being a little too untrustworthy for such a large task while Dateko, the Iron Wall, is good to keep on their shores unless anything happens and they need a solid defense (the best offense is a good defense or whatever.) That leaves the Owls and Nekoma. _ Akaashi would probably be best to send _ _,_ Tsukishima thinks,  _ but Bokuto might not be... _ And that leaves—

“Kuroo,” Tsukishima says and Kuroo lifts an eyebrow in question, “will you and your crew please transfer this message and summons to the king of Inarizaki?”

A shuffling sounds from the right of him and Sakusa comes into his peripheral, probably leaving his solitude in his dark corner. He gives him a bewildered look with a dash of frustration, “I hardly think that’s a good idea, a dumbass one actually, Emperor Tsukishima,” he adds the title after a quick pause. “What kind of message will it send to have pirates arrive at their shores instead of you or a diplomat?”

“...You’re right,” Tsukishima says, tapping away at the table with his fingers although he hardly trusts any diplomats with anything, to be honest. He needs to send a good message though... “Oikawa, Sugawara.” The lieutenant colonel looks away from fussing with his hair. “Can you possibly spare one of your people to send with them to Inarizaki?”

Sakusa loudly groans, already trudging back to his spot in the corner, making sure not to brush against anybody.

“Who said we were going to Inarizaki?” Kuroo pipes up from his seat and his first-mate throws him an alarmed glare.

Tsukishima looks towards him, one of his eyebrows raised. “Well are you?”

Kuroo pauses before hesitantly saying, “We-well yes.”

Tsukishima nearly rolls his eyes into the back of his head and turns back Oikawa and Sugawara, the latter already nodding his head. “I think we can spare someone,” he says cutting a look over to Daichi who nods his head in agreement. 

“—Oh come on! Tobio would probably love being away from us for a little bit!” Oikawa practically whines to Iwaizumi. The latter just scowls even deeper, crossing his arms as he looks down at Oikawa, “No.”

“I think yes,” Oikawa argues back and Tsukishima decides to intervene before it takes off into a completely different conversation.

“Whoever you send,” his fingers still tapping the table, “it doesn’t matter, just make sure it’s them who delivers the letter.” They both nod and he finally huffs a sigh, realizing the meeting is coming to a close. “As for the rest of you, enjoy your time in Itoku and if you want something to do, you report to Lieutenant Colonel Oikawa...” The room falls silent and Tsukishima almost cringes at the silence, the firewood popping. 

Captain Sakai claps his hands together. “Meeting adjourned. Now all of you have a good night’s rest...or, uh, whatever you guys do,” he says like they’re some kind of strange creatures. 

Tsukishima pushes himself from his heavy chair, it almost ripping at the ornate carpet lining under the table, ready to make a beeline for his room and bid his goodbyes. “Oh,” he remembers before they all leave the room and he levels them all with what he’s hoping is a menacing stare, “And nothing of my absence should leave this room, understood?”

They all tiredly murmur their agreement and trudge out of the war room and into the hallway, the night sky clear from the windows. How long were they in that meeting for? Shrugging, he takes this as good luck, he’ll need the dark to get out of the city unrecognized. Leaving the war room, the doors closing behind him, he goes to pack for his trip.

———

The snorts and stamping of hooves greet Tsukishima as he enters the stables from the night darkened streets, carrying his saddle bag full of food, a couple changes of clothes and other necessities. He’s strapped it under his wool cloak, a deep and dark shade of gray, his servants giving it to him before he bid them a quick thanks and farewell before sealing his bedroom door for his return. 

The stable boy is preparing his and the others horses, brushing them down and checking for any injuries. The rest of the stalls are filled with the other horses either sleeping, eating or staring off into the void, chewing at absolutely nothing. Someone wearing a cloak similar to his only dark green pats at a chestnut mare the stable boy has finished with and Tsukishima walks forwards laying a hand on their shoulder.

“Yamaguchi,” he says and he yelps, his shoulders relaxing as he looks towards Tsukishima as he continues to brush along the mare’s neck. Tsukishima raises a brow, readjusting the saddle bag he’s holding on his shoulder as it begins to ache a little. “What are you doing here?”

Yamaguchi huffs a laugh, “I’m coming with. You think I would let you go alone?”

“Not particularly, no. But don’t you want to go along with your friends to Kota?”

Yamaguchi turns towards him now, hand falling from the horse’s neck who looks at Yamaguchi like she’s asking to be pet more. He looks towards Tsukishima from the hood of his cloak, “I would—yes. But...this seems like something I need to be with you for. I want to come.”

Truth is, Tsukishima does want him to stay. He wants to leave Uchida, Usui and Iwasaki behind so they can catch a break for once. But that means he would travel through the High Mountains alone, experience the High Mountains alone. He’s looked upon it for ages from his windows, the mountain ranges snow-capped and beautiful he’s heard and yet it was always out of reach. Now it’s not and he knows of the dangers that await him on the mountain paths, the freezing wind and bears (he can’t stand the thought of being hunted by a bear and terrifyingly enough, they can run faster than a horse so...yay.)

“They’ll worry about you,” Tsukishima says, barely fighting against Yamaguchi’s resolve.

“Please,” he laughs now, finally giving in and going back to scratching at the mare’s neck, “I think I’ll worry about them more than they’ll worry about me.”

Tsukishima heavily doubts that, being that they’re too sickeningly kind and would probably worry over Yamaguchi getting nervous to buy something at a stall. “You probably don’t have to worry about them, they’re as tough—most of them—as they are stupid.”

Yamaguchi shakes his head, “Rude.”

“Your Imperial Majesty,” a meek voice sounds beside him and it’s Tsukishima’s turn to nearly jump ten feet into the air as he notices the stable boy standing beside him. The boy’s eyes widen considerably, “Sorry sorry sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that.”

Tsukishima coughs trying to brush his fright off although he spots Yamaguchi in his peripheral trying not to laugh, his mouth twisting to keep himself although he can hear him snort. “It’s fine. What do you need?” He asks looking down at the boy.

“Oh—oh!” The stable boy’s posture relaxes a little at the realization that he wasn’t going to be cursed out and he bows low and quick before nodding his head toward the horses, “They’re all tacked up and ready to go, Emperor Tsukishima.”

“Thank you,” Tsukishima says.

“By the way,” the stable boy starts as he heads for the door at the back of the poorly lit stables, where it leads, Tsukishima has no idea. “If you want the most reliable steeds I suggest Rooster and Cow,” he says pointing to the chestnut mare that Yamaguchi continues to dote on and a pinto on the opposite end who looks half ready to fall asleep.

Tsukishima gives the stable boy one final look of confusion, his face twisting, before he’s opening the door and it slams behind him.

“Rooster and Cow?” He mutters to himself, incredulous at the names they were given. He’s guessing Rooster is the mare even though it doesn’t make all that much sense, aren’t roosters men-chicken? Or wait no it’s pronounced male chickens. 

“I call Rooster,” Yamaguchi says and Tsukishima turns to see that the mare has already rested her probably heavyass head over his shoulder.

“Come on,” Tsukishima says, laughing a little at the relaxed look the horse has. “Let’s get out of here.”

Yamaguchi raises his brows in his direction, “Are your friends not coming?”

Tsukishima physically cringes at the term friends. What a straightforward way of putting it. “They need the time off,” Tsukishima says, looking away with a tinge of embarrassment at the fact he didn’t deny it. “They’ll be here in about twenty minutes and we need to leave before then.”

“Do you think that’s a smart choice? Leaving them behind?” Yamaguchi says, giving Rooster a apologetic look as he maneuvers himself out from under her hulking head.

“No, I don’t but...I don’t want them to come along for this trip,” he says, avoiding Yamaguchi’s all-seeing gaze. After a moment, Yamaguchi nods, “Alright then, let’s go.”

“You have everything you need?” Tsukishima asks, walking with slow steps over to  _ Cow _ _._ Reaching into his bag, he pulls out a couple apple slices for the horse and with lazy interest the horse steps forward and takes it from his hand. The juice from the apple slices gets all over his hand and he tries not to hurk at the feeling of the sticky juices running down his palm. Wiping his palm vigorously on his cloak, he grabs the letter from his saddle bag, putting it somewhere they’ll be able to see when they arrive and then hoists himself onto the saddle after some quick scratches.

He glances over to Yamaguchi who looks out of his element, gripping onto the pommel, his hands white. Tsukishima guesses he’s probably ridden a few horses in his life but not a lot given the fact that he probably spent a lot of time out on sea. Tsukishima himself isn’t a widely skilled horse rider either. He learned about three years ago after his father insisted that he should know how to ride a horse. He was terrified of it at first, scared of being kicked in the head and dying but then slowly got the hang of it, realizing the horse was actually quite calm.

Tsukishima gives Yamaguchi a reassuring smile, motioning forward, “Pirates first.”

Yamaguchi rolls his eyes, slowly moving Rooster forward and out of the stables and onto the quiet street. “I’m laughing so hard right now,” Yamaguchi says, sarcasm dripping from his words, his face serious although he looks on the verge of laughing.

Tsukishima urges Cow into a walk onto the dark cobbled street, illuminated only by oil street lamps. It’s late into the night, the cold air sweeping through the city and Tsukishima can almost feel the bite of rain to come. They both keep silent as they pass through the mainly deserted streets, hoods up and their faces angled away from the light. He doesn’t want anybody to know that he’s left the city, it would cause too many problems. 

They walk parallel along the river, the houses growing smaller and smaller as they reach the outskirts of the city, the soon large, iron-gated townhouses turn to small houses with farmlands filling the space in between, the cobbled streets turning to dirt roads. Some of the lights shine through the cottages windows, smoke coming out the chimneys and he watches the various farm animals graze and sleep in their fields. Somewhere in between that time, they had grown into a slow trot, heading straight for the forest and towards the path that will take them straight through the High Mountains and to the Tsukishima Estate. In the moonlit darkness, he can barely make out the tree line, the evergreens piercing upwards into the sky. After about thirty minutes of riding and they’re nearly upon the forest, the trees more defined now with large trunks that stick close together, barely making out the trodden path between them.

Tsukishima comes to a stop at the mouth of the forest, the branches of the pines shine bright in the moon, glinting and sharp like teeth ready to chew them both up only to never spit them back out.

It’s certainly different than the moss covered forest Yamaguchi and him had walked through all those months ago when he was being introduced to the Crows. He suppresses a shiver and looks towards Yamaguchi who looks equally as terrified of the forest.

“Not too late to turn back,” Tsukishima says with a forced smile.

“No—I can do this, I’m coming with you,” Yamaguchi says, steeling his features and staring down the forest. It calms Tsukishima’s thundering heart a little, letting out a sigh of relief. Yamaguchi holds out a hand, motioning towards the forest, a wry look to his face, “Emperors first.”

Tsukishima scoffs, shaking his head fondly before pushing Cow into a walk, towards the forest. Cow’s ears are up and forward listening to what’s in front of him but doesn’t hesitate to move forward. Tsukishima will take that as a good sign. And with a deep breath, filling his lungs, Yamaguchi following closely behind him, they enter the forest.

———

_ To Uchida, Usui and Iwasaki, _

_ Rest while I’m gone. Take this as a vacation or whatever. If you want something to do, take a nap. I’ll be back in a couple of weeks, at the most. _

_ From Tsukishima. _

“That bastard,” and Usui crumples the letter in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry that these are so slow at the start, i’m just trying to get everything in order before kicking everything into motion which i think i just did idk tho. anyways hope u guys enjoyed<33


	3. Casting Off

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright sorry about uploading late, i had a hard time with this one. all the dialogue just feels really robotic to me and i kept on rewriting scenes and now i’m here. ik there’s going to be some typos but i’ll fix this after i wake up so i’m extremely sorry in advance. anyways i hope y’all enjoy<3

“What do you mean I’m going to Inarizaki?” Hinata demands, keeping pace with Suga as he orders the dock workers where to put which crates and where as they lug them up the gangplank and into the hold. 

Suga spares a glance down at him, wiping the sweat that’s dripping off his neck and beginning to soak the white collar of his shirt. He had long taken off the black coat he was wearing as the morning had turned into the afternoon and the sun had rose into the sky. It’s the last day of sweltering heat they’re going to get, Hinata guesses, until fall and winter is over. Only two days ago when the emperor had left in the dead of night had it rained so hard they thought the harbor would be flooded. 

“Hinata,” Suga starts slow and Hinata lets out a huff of hot air, crossing his arms. _Why should I have to go? Can’t someone else go?_ As if reading his mind Suga rests an understanding hand on his shoulder and Hinata hates that it works, shoulders relaxing from being hiked up to his ears. “Me and Daichi thought hard about who would be the best pick and we chose you.”

“Why?” Hinata asks, incredulous. “Because someone like Ennoshita would be a far better pick than me.” He tries not to pick at the stray blue thread coming loose from his more-grey-than-blue blouse. He can work harder. He’ll even take Tanaka’s shifts of swabbing the deck. He just doesn’t want to stay on the land, the way it makes his feet itch and feel like everything’s being closed in on him, the wind and blow of the sea a much better prospect than land.

Suga smiles, glancing away for a second to yell at Tanaka for almost spilling a crate of apples into the water.Looking back to him, his hand still on his shoulder (making Hinata really feel his height now.) “Ennoshita would definitely be a better pick in different aspects. But,” and Suga now gives him a conspiring wink that makes Hinata always grin, even now, “you have an affinity for making friends and good ones at that.”

Hinata puffs out his chest a little bit, Suga releasing his hold on his shoulder, “I guess...although that jerk Tsukishima doesn’t seem to like me very much.”

“Don’t take it to heart,” Suga laughs. “He doesn’t really like any of us.”

Hinata doesn’t agree with that. Tsukishima, that rat-bastard, actually seems to like most of them like Suga and Daichi, but only barely tolerates Hinata’s presence. Why that is, Hinata has no idea, he’s fuckin’ awesome to hang out with. “Except for Yamaguchi,” he sighs, “the amount of times I’ve seen them make goo-goo eyes at each other makes me sick.” Both of them laugh before they’re both clapped on the shoulders, Hinata looking back to see Daichi smiling at the both of them, a rucksack thrown over his shoulder.

“The last of my stuff,” Daichi supplies before asking, “How’s it going?”

“Should be a couple more hours til we’re ready but we’re expected to cast off tomorrow,” Suga answers, looking at the crates still littering the dock, a lot of it food, some of it supplies and most of it materials and liquids they’ll—not Hinata—use to burn the Pearl Guild to the ground.

“And Hinata? You okay with going to Inarizaki?” Daichi asks, a concerned look on his face.

“Yeah, no, of course. It’s fine,” Hinata replies enthusiastically, bringing out a wide smile. He tries to look at the bright side of this, squashing the seed of insecurity to smithereens. They chose him as diplomat which is fucking cool of them—also Inarizaki? He’s only been there twice and he liked the smell of the city—it was all very airy and clean—and Great Blue, how could he forget? There was an over abundance of alcohol and good alcohol at that.

_ Yep. This is cool. This is going to fun. I’m going to deliver that message and all’s going to be good and great and King Kita will be like “oh my gods, we should totally help them out and also by the way, Hinata, you’re very brave and gorgeous and here’s this medal and all this money.” We’ll win this war...all of this is definitely, totally going to happen. _

“—Shoyou!” Suga’s waving his hand in front of his face, disrupting his distracted grin as he spaces out at the sea. Shaking his head, he looks back up at Suga and Daichi who are staring at him, utterly puzzled. “You okay?”

“Yep, perfect.” Okay that may be lathering it on a little to thick but whatever, he shrugs it off. “I won’t let you guys down.”

“Didn’t think you would,” and Daichi nods his head in agreement.

The royals of Inarizaki are going to love him. He’s never met them, Kita or any of his advisors or any of his legendary warriors. He’s heard stories about them, sure, some good and some...not so much. And the city is very pretty with the spires and the warm colors of the buildings and the terra-cotta roofs. The crew and him had only stayed by the harbor but he could see the palace from afar; placed in the middle of the cluttered city, the towers reaching into the sky, daring to grasp and take hold of the clouds, with the alabaster palace placed at the top of the hundred-and-three steps that lead up to it.

“Shoyou!” A shout comes from the ship and he whips his head around to see Nishinoya rush down the gangplank, an impossibly wide grin on his face that never forgets to leave an even wider smile on Hinata’s.

“Nishinoya!” He holds his arms out and Nishinoya runs full speed ahead, lunging over a crate holding bottles upon bottles of rum that are no doubt going to go towards arson. They fist bump at full force, the impact shaking through Hinata’s arms and hitting his shoulder blades. As they both shake out their hands they laugh and Nishinoya throws a hand over his shoulder, tugging him in.

“Ready to get plastered tonight?!” Nishinoya looks fiendish.

“You know it!”

“Good,” Nishinoya tugs him tighter in, Daichi and Suga both giving them conspicuous glances as Nishinoya winks at him. “Because tonight is going to be the best night of our lives.”

———

It was not the best night of their lives.

That was given as Hinata wakes in his hammock, head splitting and his mouth tasting like actual shit. Like...at least he woke up in his bed, right? Looking around, the oil lamps staying barely lit, the warm glow casting weird angled shadows through the beams supporting the ship, he spots almost everyone in their hammocks or pallets as well. Most of them opted out of the festivities either not being big drinkers or insisting they needed the rum for Kota. The only people who did it seems was him, Suga, Tanaka and Nishinoya.

Glancing around the room, he realizes, where is Nishinoya anyways? He’s not in his bed. He must of not made it to his own. Squirming around in his hammock for a minute he’s able to right himself and throw his legs over the side, his still booted feet touching the floor only to hear a groan. Hinata nearly falls out of his hammock in surprise, careful to hold a scream in as he looks down only to see Nishinoya curled up on the ground, sleeping, dead to the world, as a big line of drool dribbles from his mouth onto the floor.

At least he knows where he is now. Hinata tiptoes over him, Nishinoya readjusting his head, the floorboards creaking as he slips his way past everybody’s bed and out of the dark hold to the main deck.

The air is cold, especially by sea, and he tries not to shiver as he leans on the railing, looking out at the sea as the sun begins to peek out over the horizon, the sky burning pink, the night blue crawling away as it does. The smells and tastes of the sea and the fish hauled in. The fog clinging to the ground slowly begins to dissipate as the sun’s rays trail across the ground and buildings and he lets the freezing wind stab at his back while the sun begins to warm his tenderly freezing face.

His last day with the ship, his friends, for the next few weeks. It’s going to be weird. Really weird. He’s spent his entire life with most of them and he’s never been separated from them for more than a few days especially not by himself. But it might be fun and he definitely would like to see Inarizaki again.

“You okay, Hinata?” Ennoshita asks, yawning loud as he comes to lean against the railing beside him, wrapping his coat around himself.

Hinata turns away from the sun giving him a sleepy smile, “Yeah, I’m good.”

“Excited to go to Inarizaki?”

Hinata lets the question sit and stew in the morning air for a moment before saying, “Definitely.”

He tries to keep the sentiment as his friends cast off later that day and he was right, the previous day was the last warm day of the year. The clouds had come and hid the sun, letting fat drops of rain hammer against the harbor as he waved them goodbye. Their ship sailed farther and farther from shore, his waving friends not stopping until they were little dots on the sea and he swore he could still see them waving from there. He let his hand drop after twenty minutes and let out a quiet mutter of prayer to any deity that deemed him worthy enough to listen to that they return in one piece and alive to him.

His excitement dies down after a few days of waiting around his room Emperor Tsukishima had given to them after his father was killed. He counts down the days until his departure and barely sleeps a wink the four nights before he leaves. The day of, he shoves almost all of his clothes into his bag, getting caught up on the ones he might wear and ones he’s definitely going to wear. Stuffing in his knife, he almost throws his door off it’s hinges, the laziness of the room interrupted, and races out of the palace, bidding all the palace guards goodbye even though he doesn’t know most of them, some of them wishing him good luck on his trip in return. 

Rushing down the palace road and out the gate, his feet almost slipping on the wooden drawbridge, the water of the moat floating lazily. His feet take him down the busy streets, racing past slow moving carriages and the Colosseum standing tall by the riverside, the shout and cheer of a match going on reaching him as he nears the harbor. He turns the corner, nearly eating shit on the slippery ground before gaining his footing again and at one of the docks he spots the red and black of the Nekoma, the dock workers almost finished with loading it up. 

It’s sleek and long and  _ is that new paint? _ The black sails are furled and he can barely make out the gold thread sewn throughout it, the wooden lion mid-roar at it’s fore, teeth bared and claws sharp.

“Shoyou!” Someone yells and he glances towards the dock and sees Oikawa and Iwaizumi, the former waving him over. “Come here.”

He smiles and waves back, the wooden boards of the dock creaking underfoot, slowing down when a worker with a crate pops up in his peripheral. “Fuck!” He jumps to the side, narrowly missing the pissed off worker, only for him to teeter near the edge of the dock. His arms wheeling, he tries to find his balance even as his packed bag weighs him backwards.  _Why did I have to pack so much stuff?_ he thinks, the thought barely registering as his fingertips grasp at air and he reluctantly accepts his fate, tipping backwards only for someone to grab his hand. 

He meets the person’s eyes, his tipping stopped, relief flooding through him just as the person’s eyes widen and they  _ both _ begin to tip over the edge. The mystery guy tries to wiggle his hand out of Hinata’s, trying to save himself from the watery depths but Hinata doesn’t let go as they both teeter and fall over the edge and into the frigid sea water. 

The cold water encases him and he can barely catch his breath, his muscles locking up as he sinks deeper under the surface. He pushes through his shock, still gripping onto the random’s hand as he pumps his legs, righting himself and swimming back up to the surface. The other guy still hasn’t registered the water surging around them, frozen and eyes wide, and he pulls him up and along too. Hinata breaks the surface with a gasp, cursing himself as he feels his bag grow heavier with water and it’s contents becoming soaked.

The other guy surfaces and he doesn’t even have enough to time to thank him for trying or apologize for pulling him in or say  _anything_ before he’s being yelled at. “What the hell is your problem?” His face practically darkening.

Hinata is frozen for a moment, his arms the only thing keeping him afloat as he registers what he just said. His fingernails almost dig into his skin as the other guy waits for an answer like he somehow deserves one. His insides twist around each other and he barks, “My problem? My  _ problem?!_ You’re the one who tried to help me!”

“Yeah but I didn’t want to be pulled over the edge by you!” The guy thunders on, “What kind of dumbass doesn’t even look where he’s going?”

Hinata almost forgets to keep himself afloat, the rain pattering against his already soaked hair, orange hair matted down like a wet dog, and he can almost feel his voice go a few decibels louder. “I’m not a dumbass, dumbass! I’m the one who pulled you out from the water, you were just sitting there. What were you planning on doing? Building yourself a little underwater home and hope to grow some fucking gills?”

The person goes quiet at that, eyebrows drawing over his eyes in anger and he glances away and Hinata has the faint notion that he’s about to be punched. Backing away a little, hoping that he moves far enough so that if he does get hit he’ll only be clipped. Maybe the stranger will look stupid while doing it with his dark hair swept around awkwardly after surfacing. He’s trying to get away only for two hands come over the side of the harbor interrupting whatever was just about to happen.

“How fortunate, you two have met,” Oikawa grins over the side, grasping at his friend’s hand and pulling him out of the water while Iwaizumi comes over to Hinata and with a quick readjustment to his bag, is quickly pulled up onto solid ground like it was nothing. He tries not to sulk at how easy it was for Iwaizumi to pull him from the water or how his clothes are soaked through—his long blue coat heavier by twenty pounds and his white shirt underneath is almost see through, clinging to his body like a leech. The guy continues to scowl at him, grumbling out, “We  _ don’t _ know each other.”

“Well in that case, that’s Hinata, he’s part of the Crows.” Oikawa says pointing over to him, shivering violently in the cold. He waves sullenly, wanting to get on board and dry his stuff instead of being introduced to this...this...douchebag. He doesn’t even nod his head in greeting or anything while Oikawa motions to him, “And this is Kageyama, he’s part of my crew. You guys will be going to Inarizaki together to deliver Tsukishima’s letter.” That certainly caught his attention, Kageyama snapping his head to glare at Oikawa. Hinata sputtered, his excitement dying a tragic death and dread for his trip beginning to take it’s place. 

“You never told me there was going to be another person!” Kageyama snaps and Hinata goes to either protest with him or tell him to shut up, he hasn’t decided. Oikawa holds up a sharp hand, looking a lot more harsh than was intended.

He smiles, “I just didn’t think it was that important. You could make more friends outside of us and the crew.”

His face grows darker, how that’s possible Hinata has no idea, “I don’t need any more friends!” Instead of a little Hinata feels a lot offended now, his mouth hanging open as Kageyama storms away down the dock and up the gangplank, onto the red and black ship.

Oikawa sighs, his hands wiping tiredly at his face before peeking through his fingers. He manages a small smile, lacking it’s usual dazzle that Hinata has seen at too many meetings. “He didn’t mean that, he’s just tired.”

Iwaizumi who’s stayed silent throughout beside Hinata, his arms crossed as he says, “Tired is another way to say it. I told you this was a bad idea.” He strides after Kageyama probably to bid his goodbye to him.

Hinata sees as Oikawa physically droops, his expression becoming exhausted that Hinata has only noticed in split seconds. It doesn’t help that the rain won’t let up, his hair matting to his temples and his pristine white and baby blue uniform is beginning to darken. 

“I don’t think we’ll be friends.” Hinata says, walking up beside Oikawa and giving him a smile even though he knows that was a huge understatement. “But getting him on the sea is a good idea, at least in my opinion. Any solution that’s solved with sailing is my kind of answer.”

Oikawa just shakes his head, letting out a pitiful chuckle before motioning for him to follow. Hinata follows him down the dock, careful to watch for people now, wouldn’t want to meet  _ another  _ asshole. The gangplank creaks under their feet, his boots squelching and he hopes he can find a good place to dry his clothes out as he reaches the deck. 

The last of the crates are being loaded on, filled with who knows what, and the crew hurries about, checking the rigging, swabbing the deck and other such activities.

A large hand lands on his shoulder—Oikawa leaving him behind and going to the opposite side to Iwaizumi and Kageyama—and he turns around to see Lev grinning down at him, his towering figure that always manages to leave Hinata cursing the gods that decided to play such a cruel joke on him. “Hinata!”

“Lev,” they quickly side hug each other in greeting, Lev shaking both his hands out after touching his soggy clothes, his face cringing for a moment. 

They both met about almost a year ago in Inarizaki, shortly after Nekoma had picked Lev up from an island off the coast of Birkland. They had quickly become friends after challenging each other to a balancing contest on the railings of the Crow even though they were seeing double. They had both ended up in the warm waters of the Inarizaki harbor, fished out by Daichi and Kuroo who were having a “friendly” conversation, boasting about their ships.

“How you doing, Hinata?” Lev asks, eyes tracking all the supplies coming in and the people walking around.

“Good,” Hinata replies. “You know where Kuroo is? I’m supposed to report to him or something.”

“Oh—oh, yeah!” He takes a moment to remember, his hands fidgeting at his sides before pointing to the captain’s quarters,  _ of course _ . “He’s in there. Some guy came in and they’ve been talking for about...ten minutes, I don’t know.”

“Thanks. See you ‘round.” He holds up his hand and Lev waves as Hinata makes his way towards the captain’s quarters. He gives a few familiar faces a greeting, waving at Inuoka passing by and giving Kenma who was just about to climb up towards the Crow’s nest a big hug, looking both disgusted and welcoming of the physical contact. He gives Fukunaga a quick and awkward smile as he watches him with a weird smile and stare before slipping through the heavy door.

It’s somehow colder in here than it is out there, a shiver racking down his spine and he wants to get this over with so he can dry his clothes and not feel like the embodiment of soiled underwear. No candles are lit, the gloomy light coming from the window, the grey clouds depressing. The room is well furnished, the couch frames waxed and the cushions a dark blue velvet, the wooden furniture a shiny mahogany, intricately designed rugs laying all over the floor. In the middle of the room is a table with Kuroo and another figure crouched over what he can guess is a map, talking to one another.

Hinata clears his throat and Kuroo looks up to him, a grin already splayed on his face, “Shoyou, I heard you were coming. Glad you could join us.”

“Did you get a new paint job?” Hinata asks ignoring his welcome and Kuroo nods, his eyes almost lighting up.

“Yeah, you noticed. Does it look nice? Bo said it looked good but I wasn’t sure.”

“No, it definitely looks good. Like... _ ooowah! _ Like that,” he says, moving his hands animatedly. Honestly though, it does look good and makes him realize how much the Crow needs a new one, the color fading and some of the paint peeling off. The figurehead needs to be shined as well, it looks a little dull now when it’s supposed to glint in the light. 

The other figure makes one more mark on the map before turning around and Hinata tries not to gasp. “What are you doing here?”

Advisor Sakusa grumbles something under his breath before speaking, “Sadly enough, I’m accompanying you and the other guy...whatever the hell his name is, to Inarizaki.”

Hinata scrunches his face, confused, “Why?”

“So you don’t screw up that’s why. I’ll give the king the letter so Itoku doesn’t make a fool of itself even more than it already has,” he says, going over to his bags laid out on one of the couches.

“...Okay.” Hinata felt like that was really rude but he has no idea why at the moment. “Well...cool, I guess. The more, the merrier. What were you guys just talking about?”

Kuroo turns back to the map, hand splaying over it, “We were charting our course. We’ve mapped out a route that’ll get us there in about...a week and a half. It seems pretty harmless too, no trouble.”

“Oh, nice,” Hinata smiles, suddenly remembering how his clothes are dripping wet, “Do you happen to have any spare clothes lying around?”

Kuroo looks away from the map, “Talk to Kenma, I’m sure he’d be happy to lend you some clothes. When you’re done dressing, we have a bunk down for you in the hold, you can drop your stuff off down there. When the rain clears we can dry it out.”

“Alright, thank you,” Hinata says, grabbing the handle of the door again. Kenma probably won’t be happy about but he’ll oblige...probably, hopefully—he’s starting to feel wrinkly from the water.

“Oh, and Hinata,” Kuroo says and Hinata turns, the captain giving him one of his sly grins. “Welcome back to the Nekoma.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay is it literally just me but fukunaga literally has my fucking heart after season 4 like all my love for my favorite fuckin weirdo<33 anyways sorry again, this definitely wasn’t my best chapter and ughhhh. anyways i’ll see you guys next week and HOPEFULLY on time.


	4. Uncovering the Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh since i love oikawa so fucking much i’ve decided to make him a main character:) anyways hope y’all enjoy<33
> 
> okay cw for like blood and almost drowning i guess, and then like the mildest panic attack and then also a person gets shot. idk if this like helps but i just want to make sure.

_ The night was silent, waves lapping at the side of the ship, peaceful before it wasn’t. As Oikawa and his crew slept they had no idea of the dangers that crept along the main deck and towards their bunks. He only awoke to the sound of a creak and a flash of a knife plummeting towards his chest. As the others woke at the sound of a scuffle, noticing the other intruders on the ship as well as Oikawa wrangling with his attacker, they jumped from their beds. His arm was sliced open, unable to roll away fast enough, pain shooting through his joints but he refused to die, that night was not going to be the one he died on. He finally got on top of his attacker and ignored the pain as he whipped his fist across his face, the man going limp underneath him.  _

_ He stumbled to his feet, a slipper of his already missing and quickly set to work helping his friends. Kindaichi and Kunimi had already freed themselves from the corner they were backed into and stood back to back, their bedside knifes in their hands as they defended themselves. The low-lit lanterns swayed frantically from side to side, their flames almost flickering out as Makki slammed one of them into the beams, head hitting the wood with a  crack before crumpling to the ground. Iwa was grappling with another one and Oikawa started towards his direction only for Kyoutani to get there first, launching himself onto the attacker’s back and throwing her to the ground.  _

_ He counted heads, putting names to faces, his heart shooting into his throat as he realized he was missing one. “Tobio!” He shouted over the scuffling, the fights dying down as his friends began to pick off the stragglers. He slipped through the hold, launching himself over a couple of crates, losing his last slipper in the process and racing up the rickety stairs and onto the main deck, a shuffle of footsteps following in his wake.  _

_ He came to a full stop, bare feet sliding against the deck as he saw Kageyama, his hands bound as he was forced to kneel on the ground. Oikawa held up a hand and motioned for the rest of them to freeze as the attacker (Assassin? That made a lot more sense.) held a pistol to the back of his head, her eyes glinting. _

_ “What do you want?” Oikawa demanded, his friends’ restless energy a constant at his back, all their fingers itching for their weapons. _

_ She pressed to pistol harder into Kageyama’s head, his eyes raging although Oikawa couldn’t ignore the panic beginning to rise in them and in himself. “Drop your weapons and get into the wagons,” she nodded her head towards the harbor. He took a quick glance and saw two wagons holding large iron cells. “Once you get into the wagons, I’ll let him go.” _

_ Oikawa wasn’t a fool, he knew who had sent these assassins, the dots weren’t hard to connect. Lunch with His Imperial Majesty a few days ago, angering said Imperial Majesty and then walking out and bailing on a monumental war that they were expected to be at the forefront of. Oikawa wasn’t a fool and that’s why he knew that the emperor had sent them to be killed or from the looks of it, imprisoned. _

_ “Or,” she hauled him up by the collar of his night shirt and he tried to tear himself from her grasp but a quick flash of the pistol and he was complacent again. Oikawa took an involuntary step forward but stopped not wanting to make her think he was going to rush her. She draped him over the railing, more than half of his body overboard and his feet scrabbling for a hold on the ground. “I can throw him over and you guys still come with me.” _

_ A pistol clicked and Oikawa whirled to see Iwa, his gun trained on her, “Not gonna happen.” _

_ “You forget, pirate,” she grinned pushing Kageyama a little bit further off the railing, training her pistol on Iwa, “or do you want to test how skilled he is at swimm—“ _

_ With a  _ bang _ , a bullet found it’s way between her eyes and she collapsed to the ground. Iwa’s pistol smoked before he holstered it at his side and Oikawa’s gut felt tight as he began to have the inkling feeling that if they were taken away to be imprisoned they would die anyways. _

_ A strangled yelp sounded in front of him and he turned to see Kageyama unable to gain his footing, blood spattered on his white shirt, his eyes wide like saucers as he tipped over the railing. Oikawa moved, feet racing across the deck, but not fast enough as he fell over the side, his arms still bound. _

_ “Tobio!” He yelled, arm reaching out for him even as he climbed over the railing, late night air blowing at his loose clothes, and jumped in after him. His feet hit the water first and he couldn’t even register the quick  _ fuck,  _ that flitted through his brain before he was submerged. It was freezing, just as it had always been even though it was summer. His eyes acclimated, the breath he was holding burning down his throat as he spotted Kageyama wriggling and sinking like a rock to the bottom. Bubbles escaped Kageyama’s airways as if being stolen by the sea and Oikawa plunged further and further and further down, arms straining and stinging from the cut on his bicep and the salt of the water. _

_ The fight finally left Kageyama’s body as he held onto his last breaths of air, eyes wide open and pleading for Oikawa to hurry and save him from the sea’s watery clutches. Fingers straining, he gripped onto the front of his shirt and pulled up, up, up towards the surface where they could breathe, recuperate and figure out a plan to get out of this. It gets lighter and Oikawa let out his last bubbles of breath just as they broke the surface, gasping for air. Familiar hands grasped at them and hauled them onto the cold docks, his back hitting it with an insincere drop. He welcomed it with open arms though, swallowing and drinking in the fresh air, his rib cage expanding and shrinking with every breath. _

_ “Thanks,” he clapped...Yahaba, on the ankle, the boy looking down at him with concern and fussing with his hair. Oikawa pretended to gasp for air just a little bit longer just so he wouldn’t have to fix it himself. Glancing to his left, Iwa and Kindaichi were asking if Kageyama was alright while cutting the cloth around his wrists to which he grumbled his alrightness.  _

_ They’re all snapped out their adrenaline rush as a musket clanked and they turned to see about twenty people or so, their muskets targeted on them, around the harbor. Oikawa’s heart dropped and he pushed himself up, holding his hands high above his head as he got to his feet, blood trailing down his arm.  _

_ “Is there any way we can figure something out?” Oikawa flashed a grin as he yelled out to all of them. “We have money. You want money?” _

_ The person closest to them, clad in black like the dead ones on the ship, shifted his gun to train it upon his head. Oikawa stepped back a little, not so fond of a gun inches from his hair. “You don’t have the money for what we were offered,” he said. “Now get in the wagons.” _

_ He let out a long sigh, weighing the options of dying here or in jail. After a long moment, he motioned his head towards the others and started walking over to the cells on the wagons. At least they might have a chance to escape if they’re imprisoned. _

_ He continued to tell himself that as the heavy iron door slammed shut, the thick iron bars unable to let in any moonlight, as his group was split in two and were taken to the dungeons deep beneath the palace. _

———

Oikawa turns the corner and takes the winding stairs down, down, down, his stomach dropping further and further as the light dims darker and darker. Iwa’s steps follow behind him, interrupting the cold silence between them, a wide ravine that’s been there since Tobio left for Inarizaki. 

It wasn’t an understatement when Oikawa says that Iwa didn’t agree with sending him there. Instead of his usual loud anger and cuffs that have been there since they were children and playing the busy streets of the capital it’s simmering, crossed arms and heavy glares that don’t let up. Oikawa has tried to speak to him about it for the last few days but every time he’s only stayed quiet or marched away. He decided that maybe after a few days he’ll come to him after calming down and finally sort it out.

The familiar stench begins to slither up his nose as they reach the bottom of the stairs, oil lanterns flickering unreliably as they cross the cold hallway to the heavy dungeon door. The guards posted look up from their card game, noticing their light blue-and-white uniforms and the two medals on his chest: a gold and red one for leading the fleet and a emerald green one Emperor Tsukishima had given to him a couple weeks after his father was killed. It was mostly a thank you for standing against his father and a sorry that it resulted a vacation tothe dungeons. Oikawa appreciates the concern—the emerald green does look quite good on him as well—but he would’ve never have even thought about defying him in the first place if he knew that they were going to end up in the dungeons and what they were made to witness. 

The guard scrabbles for the keys, flipping over a couple of cards in the pot before grabbing them and getting up to hand them over to him. “Sorry ‘bout making you wait.”

“It’s no problem,” Oikawa flashes a smile even though it kind of is. The smell continues up his nose and he does well to remember that he’s here now, right here and not back then. The guard nods his head before fumbling towards the heavy door and with a loud  clank , it opens. The guard hands him the keys, Oikawa’s hands brittle and weak, before returning to his game, their conversations more muted than before.

“Thank you,” Oikawa mutters as he stands there for a moment, feet rooted to the ground. The descent down into the palace dungeons is a dark one, almost completely pitch black lest for the ominous light at the bottom that comes from the dungeon. 

A rough almost-slap to the back of the head has him coming back to the present, rubbing at it as Iwa snatches the keys from his hand and walks past. “Let’s get this over with,” he grumbles before unlocking the heavy door and walking straight into the heart of darkness.

Feeling a little bit better, his mind clearer, he takes a hesitant step forward and then another one until he reaches the stairs. Letting the air fill his lungs and Iwa’s steps down the stairs distract him from his fear, he closes the door shut behind them. 

The air doesn’t smell the exact same as last time, thank the gods. It doesn’t stink of blood, no iron in the air or stench of dried blood spatters. It doesn’t clog your senses or make you wish you lost track of the days or how long it’s been since you’ve had water or hope that you would someday see the light of day. 

The pitch black feels tight around him as he descends the narrow stairwell, his arms touching the walls so they don’t enclose in on him. Iwa’s steps stop and the stairwell goes quiet, only Oikawa’s descent making sound.

“Iwa?” He asks, panic lacing his voice. His steps hurry down but no response. Where is he?

_ His friends coughed dryly, eyelids drooping as they lay in the too-small cell. They were all going to die if they didn’t get out soon enough. _

“Iwa, I’m not laughing, where are you?”

_ A brittle breath rose in and out as his friends slept. Oikawa watched them all, eyes turned away from the cell across from them. His fingers dug into the packed dirt of the floor, stinging as he tried to dig a way out from under the bars. _

“This isn’t funny!”

_ Drying blood on the ground, the iron in the air burying him. He cupped his hands over his ears, advising his friends to do the same, as they blocked out the incoherent moans of the tongue-less people across from them. Blood dribbled from their mouths and down their chins; the steak from the feast as the emperor cut into it, greasy blood dribbling down his chin— _

“Tooru.” Iwa’s voice cuts through to him and he looks up to see him staring at him with wide eyes in the middle of shaking his shoulders. His heart pounds frantically, fingers trembling at his sides. “You good?”

Oikawa stares at him and reminds himself that all of them are alright. They didn’t die in those cells, nobody did. His heart rate calms, letting a breath in and then out. They’re fine.

“I’m good,” he nods. Iwa lets go of his shoulders and Oikawa moves past him into the low-lit dungeon. “Let’s get this over with.”

His darkly shined boots don’t clack against the dirt ground as he makes his way over to the occupied cell. A pathetic figure clings to the bars weakly and he lets contempt take over his fear as he crouches down to meet eye to eye with Hisaishi, Iwa hanging back and watching closely.

“Morning, sunshine,” he says with false brightness.

The advisor looks up from staring lasers at the ground to glare darkly at him. “What do you want?” He demands, his voice croaking.

“How kind of you to ask,” he smiles before deadpanning, “I’m here for information.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have anything else to tell you.”

“Oh come on, we both know that’s a lie,” Oikawa says. Over the past few months Advisor Hisaishi has been a valuable component to their growing flow of information on Birkland. He told them how Adriana knew of the passages throughout the palace,  _no he doesn’t know how she knew of it_ _,_ how she knew of the emperor’s scheme before she even arrived at Itoku’s shores, practically how well informed this girl was.

Hisaishi sits up a little straighter, meeting his eyes, “Now why would I do that?”

“I don’t know, you tell me. Why would you lie? Your execution is set for tomorrow unless...”

Hisaishi catches onto the last part, his hands clinging to the bars as his eyes widen. “Unless what? Is there a way you can get me out of here?”

“Yes, sadly,” Iwa pipes up from behind them.

Hisaishi goes to speak but Oikawa talks before he can, “A pardon and protection if you tell us everything you know. Emperor Tsukishima was against it but Captain Sakai insisted.  _ Now _ _..._ if you want to miss the chopping block I suggest you start spilling your secrets.”

He gulps, looking left and right as he thinks it over. Fingers tapping against the metal bars he speaks quietly, “Are you sure?”

Oikawa chuckles, “Of course I am. Now  _ I’m _ definitely against it but Captain Sakai is closer to Emperor Tsukishima and therefore holds more sway.”

Hisaishi narrows his eyes at him but doesn’t say anything for a long time before quickly mumbling something about “Tsukishima, that worthless brat”, and clearing his throat. Oikawa’s heart jumps into his mouth as he begins to almost whisper, “Me and Ono weren’t the only ones.”

Iwa steps forwards, crouching down beside him and meeting Hisaishi’s downcast eyes, “What do you mean?”

“It means exactly what I just fucking said,” he seethes. “There were two others. Both rich and they live here in the capital but that’s all the Birkland bitch would tell us, she didn’t trust us enough.”

“Do you have any idea where we can catch these people?” Oikawa asks, almost leaning through the bars in anticipation.

“The Takahashi’s, they hold a party every year. Richest of the rich and all that bullshit. If my perception of time hasn’t been completely fucked to shit then it should be in about a week.”

“A week...” Oikawa sighs before getting up from his crouch, his knees creaking.  _ We can do that, _ he thinks resolutely.  _ All we need to do is get an invitation. _ That’ll be easy, a couple months ago the Takahashi’s—a family of three, husband, wife and a daughter—had come to dine with Emperor Tsukishima and Oikawa had been invited only to catch his wife eying him hungrily throughout the serving of steak.

Dusting off his pants, grimacing at the dirt stains, he starts towards the stairwell. “Wait!” Hisaishi says and Oikawa turns towards him, an eyebrow raised. “When do I get out?”

“Oh, about that...” Oikawa smiles, “we lied.”

Hisaishi’s face pales, “W-why?! I told you everything you need to know! I won’t get in the way, I’ll...I’ll live in the High Mountains if you want me to!”

Iwa’s lip curls and he turns towards Hisaishi in the cell, grabbing onto the bars. “You think we would let you out after what you’ve done? Not only serving Emperor Tsukishima’s father without a care or doubt but also betraying your nation. What did she offer you, huh? A higher position of power? Gold? Land and a title?” Hisaishi’s face goes whiter, “What was it that led you to push our nation on it’s back and expose it’s belly to the wolves?” Iwa let’s go of the cell bars, fingers trembling before covering his nose against the smell of the dungeons. Hisaishi splutters, his fingers dry and cracked as he reaches for them as they head for the stairs.

“Liars!” He screams after them as they climb the dark stairwell. “Liars,” he mutters quieter and it echoes and chases Oikawa up the last set of stairs before he slams shut the dungeon door, cutting off the pitiful whimpering of a traitor.

———

Iwa slouches on the worn couch as they stop in one of the hallways, the brocade of the chair nearly rubbed away. He lets out a loud sigh as Oikawa sits down beside him, springs creaking underneath their added weight, crossing his arms as Iwa looks away. They sit in silence as the muted afternoon light flutters through the window panes behind them and Oikawa wonders if he’s going to say anything.

The lie that they fed to Hisaishi? Complete improvisation. Oikawa kind of hinted at it and then Iwa ran with it. Honestly he’s surprised that it actually worked, Hisaishi has been cunning from the start. Although Oikawa knows what real desperation and dehydration tastes like and understands why he fell for it.

“We need to talk,” Iwa says and Oikawa nods, hidden apprehension stabbing at it his heart. Iwa clears his throat and turns to look at him now, “I don’t like how you sent Kageyama to Inarizaki.”

“I know,” Oikawa mutters staring at the wall, exhaling deeply.

“Sending him away now is the worst possible decision I think you could’ve made. We’re all still getting over from being in the dungeons.”

Oikawa nods his head slowly again. “If you let me talk to you a few days ago I could’ve told you my reasoning,” Oikawa replies and Iwa turns to glare at him. Oikawa brushes it off as he leans his elbows on his knees and runs a quick hand through his hair. “He came to me a few weeks ago. Well—no, he didn’t. I wasn’t sleeping very well and so I decided to get a breath of fresh air and—uh, I saw him outside of his rooms just staring out at the moon. It wasn’t even that visible. Anyways, I don’t—I don’t know why he told me this but he told me he felt uncomfortable and—sticky living in the palace. Now I know—I know that he must not feel like it’s a good idea and it might not be but, getting away from the palace might be something he needs...”

They’re both silent for a while as they mull over his words. Oikawa’s eyes are trained hard on the ground and he lets out a shaky breath.

Maybe it wasn’t a good idea sending him away. He knows that Kageyama lives for the sea. He knows that he needed to get away from the palace and everything going on. But sending him away from them? Did he make the wrong decision? His stomach tumbles and panic laces through him. Did he force him to leave for a trip that would only make him feel worse?

“I don’t agree with you, you know.” Iwa says out of the blue, interrupting the silence and his panic and Oikawa looks up to see his face has calmed, no serious anger left other than the flicker he’s fanned for the past few days. “But I think I know...why,” he reluctantly says.

Oikawa smiles wryly pushing away his nervous feelings for later, sitting up as his heart begins to feel lighter from the weight that’s been lifted off it. “Aww, do you really mean it? Can you repeat it? I want to memorize it.”

Iwa’s face visually darkens, his sharp eyebrows drawing over his eyes and he gets up from the couch and begins down the hallway, “Eat shit.”

“No really,” Oikawa chases after him, grasping at the back of his clothes. Iwa jerks away, dodging his playful grabs. “Can you repeat that? It’s already fading from my mind like a flame. Don’t let the flame go out, Iwa!”

“Leave me alone!” Iwa yells beginning to run down the hallway only for Oikawa to pick up the pace. “Seriously, I mean it! Or you’ll find a scorpion in your bed tonight!”

“Only if you’re there with it!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys...i love oikawa and kageyama being friends...like i go feral for it, especially when his old team cares about him. anyways fuck spring forward, all my homies hate spring forward. see you guys next week where we return to tsukishima’s pov<33


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